GlobeCast successfully provided the first-ever live, high-definition (HD) contribution service from Saint Peter’s Square to Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV), the official television station of the Vatican, GlobeCast announced April 19.

Airing Pope Benedict XVI’s 80th birthday on April 15, GlobeCast Italy dispatched an HDTV SNG truck to the Vatican, and provided uplink and space capacity on the AtlanticBird-3 satellite at 5° West.

The free-to-air feed was picked up by several major European bouquets, including Sky Italia, which carried the event live on one of its four HDTV channels. Overall, Sky Italia has an estimated 4.1 million subscribers (30,000 in HD) and 160 channels. CTV broadcasts approximately 130 events a year from the Vatican.